4th Of July

I saw something strip pieced similar to this in a catalog, and purchased my colors at my favorite discount warehouse in Anaheim (THOUSANDS of bolts and flat folds for $1.98/yard!) The Anaheim fabrics are often a little odd, random, mis-matched, even mis-printed sometimes.  I also suspect they might be old old old, they often smell dusty.  It's a lot of fun rooting through these fabrics for treasures....... and mis-adventures!  The red in this quilt is one of those odd-balls, with sparkles.

Gifted to Adelle

Serenade Spain.

Another morning project to satisfy a need to create RIGHT THIS MINUTE and use a beautiful bright modern charm pack.  In the summer, I always feel like quilting, something about the bright sun, the beautiful weather, my sewing studio with a nice window.  The charm pack name was "Serenade" and the fabric designer is Kate Spain. This small quilt is machine stiple quilted.

Happy Baby Quilt Split 4-Patch

This quilt is a "split 4 patch" made with a happy charm pack (named Simply Color) and white muslin. I hand quilted the border, but machine quilted in the ditch between the blocks.  I was inspired not by a particular baby, but a beautiful white crib! 

The quilt came together in an afternoon, the borders were about 6 hours of quilting with the TV on in the background.  I really enjoyed this use of a charm pack!  Will do this one again. 

Wedding Quilts Vanessa/Luis

For my brother's daughter Vanessa and her new husband Luis.  I chose a block sometimes called "Steps To The Altar" and a setting sometimes called "Many Trips Around The World." (Thanks, Google!)

The quilt for Vanessa has 25 1.5" squares per block, 42 blocks (That';s 1,260 1.5" squares!) in light ("Low Volume") colors, with some grey and dark blocks helping to define the pattern in the block arrangement.  I put strong blocks towards the center; and made them a little cork-screwy (because I can...) and the more subtle blocks out towards the edges.

The fabrics are scraps and leftovers from other projects.  You may recognize baby quilts, Christmas gifts, children's quilts, Sprout scraps, and some scraps of my Mom's.  I inscribed the saying on the back, "Chains do not hold a marriage together; it is threads, hundreds of tiny threads that sew people together through the years."  I have used it before, frankly I love the symbol of a thread in a wedding quilt sewing a couple together!  The quilt is going to the before and after parties to be signed by guests.

For the groom, the same but different.  Same 1.5" squares, but each block has 36 squares (1,512 squares total.) The color is dark, masculine blues; greens and browns with a lighter selection of fabrics suggesting the pattern. His is inscribed with "Marriage should be a duet.  When one sings the other should clap."  The best advice I could think of! 

These are generous lap quilts, meant to be snuggled under and wrapped up in.  Together; the pair took around 7 weeks to complete (you know with breaks for work and life!) and are very simply machine quilted "in the ditch" between blocks.  Each binding is MOSTLY one fabric, yet each one has a scrap of something else in it; just to avoid perfection and suggest forgiveness.

Very fun, simple yet tedious at times.  Want to do this pattern again!